Learn More: The Stress Management Score (Part 1)

[RebeccaFitbit]

The feeling often arrives first thing in the morning. As you wake up, the coming day’s obligations, goals, and potential pitfalls take over your thoughts. Your unease increases as you deal with minor frustrations. You discover you’re out of shampoo and eggs. Everything just seems a bit overwhelming. 

We all have a personal understanding of the feelings we associate with stress. What triggers a stress reaction varies widely from person-to-person. It can also change for an individual from day-to-day. Perhaps most frustratingly, the root causes of stress can be elusive. When it comes to the interior workings of our brains and bodies, we can sometimes be strangers to ourselves. How we cope with stress—our ability to recognize it, build resilience, and even put it to use—is a key to overall well-being. 

The Stress Management Score can give users insights into how their body is managing stress. Take, for instance, that morning when you woke up feeling stressed for no apparent reason. Checking in with Fitbit’s Stress Management Score might reveal information hidden in the rhythm of your heart or the previous night’s sleep that you weren’t consciously aware of (score details available with Fitbit Premium). 

“If you wake up in the morning and you have a high Stress Management Score, meaning that your body is in pretty good shape, you might want to start that new project or maybe go socialize at the end of the day,” says Fitbit research scientist Dr. Samy Abdel-Ghaffar who helped create the tool. “It’s an indication that you have a little extra gas in the tank to be able to take on new challenges. If your stress score is lower than normal for you, then you might want to take it easy that day. Be kind to yourself, maybe do some meditation, and get to sleep early.”

The Stress Management Score can give you insights that will help you manage a given day but, as importantly, it can help you see how your body is reacting over time. The signs of chronic stress, which can slowly build over weeks or months, can escape your notice but still have serious consequences. Paying attention to your body’s physiological signs of stress can help you avoid a health crisis. 

Want to learn more what the Stress Management Score measures and what that means for your mood? Stay tuned to the The Pulse for Part 2! 

Have questions about your Stress Management Score or about staying mindful in general? Let us know here! 

The Fitbit Community Team 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.